In the dark of the night, inside the depths of the tower outside of Daredevil City, Madame Naga was standing outside the cell that held an unconscious Neil inside. As Madame Naga watched him, Neil slowly began to open his eyes, steadily getting up from the ground.
“My head,” Neil said as he put his hand to his forehead. He looked up, alarmed to see Madame Naga, who smirked back at him. “What the hell?! What are you doing here?!”
“It appears you’ve finally gotten up. And in case you haven’t noticed, this is my tower.”
“How…how long was I out?”
“Quite a while. Clearly I knocked you out harder than I thought.”
“Why the hell did you bring me here?!”
“Calm down, boy. I have no interest in harming you. That is…as long as you remain civilized.”
“No promises on that.”
“Very well. You see…everything is about to be set into motion. Your friend, Rey, is being prepared as we speak for my plans. There’s just one thing that has to be done. One final piece I need to obtain for everything to work. And that is where you come in.”
“Are you crazy?! What makes you think I’d do anything to help you?!”
“Because I can give you exactly what you want.”
“What?”
“That’s right. I’ve been keeping a close eye on you, Neil. You want exactly what I want. Power. Our minds are more alike than you think.”
“You’re insane! I’m nothing like you!”
“Now don’t try to be so noble and deny it. You seek to be the strongest ringmaster ever. You wish to be even stronger than your brother. And I know, you feel that your partner, Heer, is holding you back due to her soft-spoken nature. Believe me, I understand you far too well. That is why if you do my bidding, I assure you that you will be rewarded well.”
Neil took in every word Madame Naga had said. He kept silent, unsure of what to say while Madame Naga anticipated for a response. “But…Rey…he’s my best friend,” Neil said.
“Well, that’s the thing about power, Neil,” Madame Naga grinned. “When you want something, you knock down anything that gets in your way. That includes your closest allies. Everything comes at a cost, Neil. And honestly…what you have to do is a small price to pay for the reward I have to bestow upon you.”
“If all of this is about power, what happens after? How do I know you won’t knock me out of the way like everyone else?”
“You’re smarter than I took you for. You could say that I’m unpredictable. But in your current state, you have very little options. I’m giving you the chance to get everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Neil was still unsure as to what to say. While the clear answer was no, what she was offering was more than he ever wanted. As he kept quiet and looked down at the ground, Madame Naga was looking at him with her special eye technique at play. She was able to look deep into Neil’s soul, paying close attention to his heart. As she looked at it more closely, she could see a small dark spot stained upon it. The boy does have a smidge of darkness in his heart, Madame Naga smirked. He just can’t say no to my offer.
***
The next day, in the morning at Ringmasters Training Academy, someone was entering the doors of the academy, making their way down the halls that led to the Devil’s Lair. This certain someone was a woman. She had radiant blonde hair that was long with curled ends and had a golden sheen to it. Part of her hair was tied up in a bun with two small daggers holding it together. She was quite tall, wearing a caped jacket in gray over a blue shirt, long gray fingerless gloves, gray pants held by a belt with a pouch attached to it, and black knee-high boots. But the most striking thing about her appearance was her eyes, both were of different colors. Her left eye was blue while her right eye was violet.
As she continued walking, she stopped upon reaching the door of Headmaster Devil’s office. The woman opened the door, seeing Headmaster Devil at his desk, clasping the hand of a blonde-haired woman. The two giggled in each other’s presence. The woman scoffed at the sight and cleared her throat to grab Headmaster Devil’s attention. Upon hearing the sound, Headmaster Devil and the lady turned to the woman. The woman could see that Headmaster Devil’s face had turned red.
“Oh my gosh!” the lady beamed with excitement. “It’s you! It’s really you! You’re the great ringmaster, Tatia Hawkwing!”
“Tatia! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?!” Headmaster Devil exclaimed.
“Like that would have prevented me from seeing your lecherous display,” Tatia said.
“Do you know her personally, Devil?” the lady asked Headmaster Devil.
“Well…she happens to be my ex-wife,” Headmaster Devil said.
“Are you serious?!” the lady shrieked. “I can’t believe you separated from a woman of such high stature! I mean this is the same Tatia Hawkwing that happens to be in the Ringmasters Society! THE Ringmasters Society!”
“While your praise of me is amusing, I actually came here to speak with Devil if you don’t mind,” Tatia told the lady.
“Of course. I’ll see you later then,” the lady said, waving bye to Headmaster Devil as she dashed her way out of the office while Tatia watched her leave.
Tatia turned back to Headmaster Devil, shaking her head in disgust. This shouldn’t have even been a surprise to her.
“Amazing. Even after your son joins here, your ways still don’t change,” Tatia said.
“You could’ve knocked at least.”
“Or you could find a better place to fool around with your girlfriends.”
“Oh, whatever. What brings you here?”
“Just the usual. I came to check on how Zayn is adjusting to things around here.”
“You could’ve just visited him yourself. You didn’t have to come to my office for that.”
“I’m aware, Devil. As a member of Ringmasters Society, it is part of my duty to check on the academies every now and then.”
“Well, it’s not like you visit here frequently. In fact, Shuto’s been the one to come for check-ups.”
“I acknowledge that. And I’m here now.”
“I see. So, you’re not here for me?”
“Well, I did come to see you. But your little office fling threw me off guard for a moment. Is this why you declined the offer to join the society? So, that you could continue to philander with women?”
“Oh, come on, Tatia. Don’t tell me this is all you think of me after how long we were together. I didn’t join the society because this academy had to be run by someone after Headmaster Rowan passed away. You and I were offered to join right after the divorce. I just thought it was better for the both of us that you go and take the offer while I stay behind and run the academy. It’s not like we would’ve been pleasant seeing each other at work every day. Besides, your powers are far greater than mine.”
“I appreciate your modesty. But even your power is exemplary as well. Why else would I send my son to this school?”
“Wow. That’s the first time you have complimented me in a while.”
Tatia shook her head, seeing Headmaster Devil looking proud as ever. She looked out into the window, staring at the beautiful clouds hovering among the cool blue sky.
“Now onto my primary reason for coming here,” Tatia said, grabbing Headmaster Devil’s attention. “Word has gotten out about Solomon. I’m sure you’re aware of that since you sent Zayn and Akira to Rutham City.”
“How do you know about Solomon?”
“Zayn told me what happened. And since the task in Rutham City was assigned by the society, I got the details.”
“So, he tells you and I end up having to get the details from Akira?”
“That shouldn’t be a surprise. I’ve been a part of his life more than you have.”
“Well, that’s not my fault.”
“We’re not going to discuss parental matters. I just wanted to let you know that I will be monitoring the Solomon case. Hopefully, I can figure out what’s really going on.”
“Zayn will be able to-“
“Zayn will not go after Solomon. You know very well the past they both shared. He doesn’t have to relive that part of his childhood.”
“Tatia…”
“This discussion is over. Solomon will be my priority. In the meantime, I will be staying here at the academy for a while to keep an eye on Zayn.”
With that, Tatia made her way out of the room. Headmaster Devil looked on as the doors of his office closed once Tatia had left. She’s still as stubborn as before, Headmaster Devil shook his head.
Tatia began to walk down the hall, not looking back once after she left the office. Seeing her ex-husband was a lot more annoying than she would’ve thought.
“Well, well. Long time, no see, Tatia,” a voice said from behind. Upon hearing the voice that called her name, Tatia stopped immediately. The sound was too familiar for her not to know. She turned around to see Ryan was standing in the corner, his arms crossed as he looked at her with a smile on his face.
“Ryan,” Tatia said.
“That’s all you have to say to an old friend?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…I can’t believe it’s really you.”
Tatia walked towards Ryan, unable to take her eyes off him. This was the first time in a while that she had seen his face. She could feel that she was overwhelmed with emotion, which was something she hadn’t felt in so long. She stood face-to-face with Ryan, looking at him and seeing he was slightly taken aback. Tatia wrapped her arms around Ryan, embracing him softly. Ryan was stunned at this act. For as long as he had known her, it was rare to see her embrace anyone. He simply stood as she continued to hug him and said, “This is quite out of the blue for you.”
“What do you mean?” Tatia asked as she released her arms. “I’m sorry. I-“
“No, no! I didn’t mind! Really!” Ryan exclaimed. “It’s just…you we’re never really one to be a hugger.”
“Well, it’s been so long since I’ve seen an old face. We haven’t exactly spoken much since we graduated from the academy.”
“Yeah, I haven’t really talked to a lot of people from the academy either. Being part of a hunter squad really keeps you busy. I’m getting even busier now that I’ve adjusted to this professor job. And I’m sure you’ve been busy working with the Ringmasters Society.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve tried to contact you much earlier.”
Ryan was even more surprised. The Tatia he remembered was rarely ever so timid. He saw her eyes look down to the left. It was as if she was in deep regret. Unable to see her like this, he said, “Oh, come on, Tatia! I could’ve called you myself as well. Don’t blame yourself! Anyways, enough sappy talk, how are things at the society?”
“The usual. I’m going to be staying here at the academy for some time.”
“I see. In that case, it’s a good thing you’re here.”
“And why’s that?”
“I need your help with something. Something that Devil won’t be able to assist me with.”
“And that is?”
“I’ll have to explain it later. I need to get some things printed before my next lecture. I’ll see you around soon.”
As Ryan made his way past Tatia down the hall, she turned around to him and called his name. Ryan paused, turning towards her.
“Do you know…about me and Devil?” Tatia asked.
Ryan wasn’t too surprised to hear Tatia bring that up. But at the same time, he wondered why she did. He said, “Yeah. It doesn’t take too long for Devil to bring up old history. I’ll see you later.”
With that, Ryan walked away, walking slightly faster than before. He didn’t want to give Tatia a chance to stop him again. As happy as he was to see her again, there were things that he wasn’t sure he could talk about right now. Tatia watched Ryan leave, noting how it looked like he was running away from her. You haven’t changed much, Ryan, she thought.
***
Outside the health center of the academy, Sana and Heer had come to see Rey. But as they arrived at the front desk, they were once again told by Nurse Sheila that he was still too sick to see any visitors.
“Nurse Sheila, are you sure Rey is okay?” Sana asked, concerned. “He’s been sick for so long.”
“He will be fine,” Nurse Sheila assured. “His medication has some side effects that are kicking in now. But after some time, he’ll get better. Just trust me. It’s best for your own health that you don’t see him just yet. Once he starts to get better, you can come see him, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you for your time,” Heer nodded.
“But…,” Sana began to say something. “We have to-“
“Sana, it’s okay. Just trust me on this,” Nurse Sheila said.
Sana reluctantly followed Heer as they made their way towards the stairs. She was starting to get more concerned than ever. Especially since she had tried calling Rey on his phone and even that wasn’t an option since he wouldn’t pick up.
“Heer, don’t you feel something’s odd?” Sana asked Heer as the two continued walking. “I just don’t understand why we can’t go see Rey for at least a minute or two.”
“We just have to trust Nurse Sheila. She’s a professional. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”
“Something is just up. I know it.”
“Maybe you’re just letting your worries get to you, Sana. Try to relax.”
“I’ll try.”
Once Sana and Heer had reached the ground floor, they ended up meeting Krystal and Prince.
“Hey! It’s good to see you guys!” Sana exclaimed. “How was the trip?”
“Awesome! I got this!” Krystal replied as she drew out her zodiac wand, showing it off to Sana and Heer.
“Wow, Krystal. It’s beautiful,” Heer said.
“You got a new wand?” Sana asked.
“She sure did. It transforms into the Chain of Leo,” Prince explained. “It’s basically an upgrade weapon for Krystal’s sonic bell.”
“And it’s all mine!” Krystal exclaimed as she hugged the wand tightly. “And get this! This wand actually holds the spirit of Leo in it.”
“Your wand is possessed by a spirit?” Heer asked.
“It was crazy to me at first as well,” Prince said. “But that’s the truth. Leo’s spirit resides in the wand. In fact, there happen to be other zodiac wands out there.”
“That’s amazing, Krystal,” Sana said.
“Thank you. And since I’m in such a good mood, I say we all go out for dinner in the evening. My treat,” Krystal suggested. “We can go to Devil’s Diner.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Heer said.
***
In the evening at the academy, there was an aura of dormancy around the forbidden chamber. The two guards that were assigned to guard the chamber stood calm and poised as they remained on duty to protect it at all costs. But all that silence would be gone in a matter of moments. Because out of nowhere, a masked figure emerged from underground, grabbing hold of both guards by their legs, and pulling them down to the ground. The figure stood before them, completely shrouded in a medium-length black cloak. The guards got up, drawing out their swords to attack the figure. But the figure was able to easily dodge the attacks from their swords, knocking out both guards with one punch each to the head.
Once the guards were down, the figure proceeded to take a key that was chained on the pocket of one of the guard’s jackets. The figure turned towards the door of the chamber, unlocking it with the key. Once the door had opened, it revealed what appeared to be a bright, blue-colored orb that was sealed in a silver case. This was none other than the Shakti Orb. The figure took the case with the orb inside, heading back underground to escape.
***
As the sun began to fall and the moon rose to begin the night, Madame Naga looked outside of the window of her tower, right near the cellar. She paid close attention towards the twinkling stars that glistened the sky in shiny glory. The sky seemed so calm to her. Such a beautiful night it is, Madame Naga thought. It’s a shame that it won’t last long.
Madame Naga turned upon hearing someone enter the cellar. She smirked as she saw the cloaked figure was holding the Shakti Orb. Madame Naga stared right at the glowing orb, elated to see it in pristine condition.
“Well done,” Madame Naga said.
The cloaked figure removed its hood, revealing to be none other than Neil, who looked back at Madame Naga and said, “What’s next?”
“It’s time. Now that the moon is up…the orb will do its magic.”
“And when do I get my end of the bargain?”
“Patience, Neil. You will get your reward and much more. Everything is going exactly as I planned. Hand me the orb.”
Neil gave Madame Naga the Shakti Orb in its case. Madame Naga removed the lid of the case, bringing the Shakti Orb closer to the window with the moon in full sight. The orb began to give off a shiny white glow that was amplified once the moon’s light hit against it.
As this was going on, back at the academy health center, Rey was panting vigorously as he remained on the bed with the marks on his body beginning to glow purple. He jumped out of bed, gasping at the sight. He looked at the mirror, seeing markings beginning to form on his face and neck.
“No,” Rey said. “No, no! This can’t be happening!”
Rey turned towards the window, his eyes looking into the moon’s beaming light. As he continued to stare at the moon, he could feel a burning sensation in his eyes. He fell to the ground as a gut-punching feeling rose in his abdomen. It was as if he was taking thirty punches all at once. Rey could feel the markings continue to shine their glowing color, stinging his skin and making him sweat even more than ever before. He could feel as though his body was shifting. It felt like something transformative was happening to him and he couldn’t seem to get any control on it as he continued to descend into the internal pain that he was feeling.
***
Meanwhile, in downtown Daredevil City, Sana, Krystal, Prince, and Heer had finished up their dinner at Devil’s Diner. Krystal was taking care of the bill while Sana, Prince, and Heer were waiting right behind her at the counter of the restaurant.
“I don’t think I’ve eaten such a big meal in a long time,” Heer said.
“I know. I’m pretty stuffed,” Prince agreed.
“Those crab cakes were definitely the best thing I’ve eaten,” Sana said.
“Okay, guys! I finished paying!” Krystal exclaimed as she turned to Sana, Prince, and Heer. “We can get going now.”
As the group of four made their way out of the restaurant, Sana couldn’t help but think of Rey again. The distance between them was unsettling. And while she knew she couldn’t do anything about it, she couldn’t help but feel sad about not being able to see or talk to him.
“Oh my gosh! Sana, are you even with us right now?!” Krystal’s exclaimed.
“Oh, sorry. Just have a lot on my mind,” Sana replied.
“It’s about Rey,” Krystal said. “Isn’t it?”
“Sana, Rey’s going to be okay,” Heer said.
“I understand how you feel though. I’d be worried too if I were you,” Prince said to Sana.
“I want to believe he’s okay,” Sana said. “But something tells me-“
Before Sana could finish talking, she was alarmed by a phone call coming from her cell phone in the pocket of her trench coat. She took out her phone, seeing it was Zayn calling, and answered, “Hey, Zayn. What’s up?”
“Sana, where are you and the others?”
“We’re on our way back to the academy. Why?”
“You guys got to get back here quick. Something has happened.”
“What? What’s going on?”
“It’s Rey. It looks like he’s been kidnapped.”
“What?! We’re on our way!”
“What’s wrong, Sana?” Heer asked.
“Rey’s been kidnapped!” Sana said.
“What?!” Krystal and Prince exclaimed in unison.
“We have to get back to the academy! Fast!” Sana told the others as they headed off quickly.
***
Back at the academy health center, Sana, Heer, Krystal, and Prince had arrived to see Zayn, Akira, Headmaster Devil, Aiden, Ryan, Tatia, and Nurse Sheila all together outside of where Rey’s room was. “You guys are finally here! They’re something you all have to see,” Aiden said as he took the group inside Rey’s room.
The room was completely torn apart. Wallpaper had been scratched and destroyed. The mirror inside the room was completely shattered with pieces of glass lying on the floor, mixed with broken window glass. Claw marks were all over the bed and the walls. It was as if a wild beast had created this destruction.
“What the hell happened here?” Prince asked.
“I wish I knew. I stepped outside to escort the staff out. When I came back, I wanted to check in on Rey before I’d head out for the night. And then I saw this,” Nurse Sheila said.
“What kind of creature could’ve done this?” Sana asked, distraught at the horrific scene in front of her.
“Not sure. But whatever it is, it took Rey with them,” Aiden replied.
“There has to be a way we can locate him,” Zayn said.
“Well, I just checked the dark beast radar we have here at the school,” Headmaster Devil replied. “There is a dark beast that’s been detected in the city. But it’s moving quickly. Which means it most likely has Rey. You guys better get moving. The rest of us will monitor things from here in case the beast happens to come back.”
“We’re on it!” Sana said as she, Krystal, and Zayn headed out from the room with Prince and Heer following in their beast forms along with Akira, who had transformed in her siren form.
After the gang left, Nurse Sheila sighed as she was about to head back to her desk. Tatia eyed her closely.
“Nurse Sheila,” Tatia called upon the nurse. Nurse Sheila was alarmed at the sound of her name, as was Headmaster Devil and Aiden. She turned back to Tatia and said, “Yes, ma’am?”
“I’d like a word with you,” Tatia replied.
“What is it?” Nurse Sheila asked.
“How long have you been working here?” Tatia questioned.
“I started around the time the headmaster’s son joined the school,” Nurse Sheila answered.
“I see…so you mean the same time Rey happened to have gotten a severe injury from Madame Naga during a battle that occurred at the school?” Tatia questioned Nurse Sheila further.
“How do you know about that?” Aiden asked Tatia.
“I filled her in on everything going on,” Ryan replied for Tatia.
“He sure did,” Tatia said. “And as he did, something struck my mind that surprisingly didn’t hit Devil in his grain-sized brain. What kind of nurse doesn’t allow visitors for a patient?”
“Rey had a contagious illness. It was for the sake of the health of these students that I didn’t allow visitors,” Nurse Sheila responded.
Tatia smirked upon hearing Nurse Sheila’s response and said, “I see. Tell me, what is this contagious illness that he had?”
Tatia noticed Nurse Sheila’s eyes looked off to the right after she asked her question. Her responses had been immediate up until this point. Her eyes started to move around in a circular motion, almost as if she was searching for an answer.
“Do you not know yourself, Nurse Sheila?”
“Of course, I do! He had some flu-like symptoms, and his skin was getting very pale and-“
“Your hesitation indicates that you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tatia said. “You see…any nurse that works at the academy should be able to state a patient’s conditions point blank. Also, even if a patient has a contagious illness, there are ways visitors can still come. In fact, clinics are supposed to provide protective masks and garments that visitors can wear to see a patient. So, taking that into account, it boggles my mind that a nurse would be so adamant on not wanting people to see a patient even though protective measures can easily be taken so that the visitors’ precious health is safeguarded. Now tell me, Nurse Sheila…what do you have to say to that?”
The room fell silent. Tatia glanced at Headmaster Devil and Aiden, who looked like they couldn’t even process everything they had just heard. Tatia looked back at Nurse Sheila, who was still silent and utterly quiet. Nurse Sheila looked up at Tatia and said, “Well then…you’re as smart as people say you are.”
The woman who called herself Nurse Sheila suddenly transformed into the form of a tall lady with long red hair that went all the way down her back and golden eyes of a serpent. Tatia recognized her within an instant. She simply said, “Just as I suspected…Lady Chameleon.”
“You certainly figured that out quick. Too bad it’s too late for you to do anything,” Lady Chameleon replied. Lady Chameleon’s body suddenly merged with the ground, slipping her way out of the health center with Tatia, Ryan, Headmaster Devil, and Aiden unable to do anything. There was a moment of silence in the room with everyone except Tatia in shock.
“What did she mean by it’s too late?” Aiden asked.
“I don’t know,” Ryan replied. “I didn’t even see this coming.”
“The situation is worse than I thought, Devil,” Tatia said.
***
On the other hand, Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira were making their way as quickly as they could around the city to look for any dark beasts in the area. Sana could feel her anxiety eating her up. She knew something was up with Rey, but never expected anything like this.
“This is insane! We’ve been at this for minutes and we still have seen no sign of a beast here!” Krystal exclaimed.
“I can’t see anything from here either,” Akira said as she flew above the others.
“The beast could’ve gotten further out of town,” Zayn suggested.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the sound of an echoing roar struck Sana’s eardrums. The group looked around themselves, trying to see where the sound could be coming from. A prowling dark beast had emerged from the shadows of the alley that the group had stopped at. It reflected the appearance of a tiger except its fur was of an ivory black color with its stripes being dark purple.
“That looks like our beast,” Krystal said.
“But then…where’s Rey?” Zayn questioned.
Before anyone else could speak, the dark beast jumped towards the group, keeping them on guard.
“Akira!” Zayn called.
“I’m on it!” Akira responded to Zayn’s call as she flapped her wings viciously, sending out gusts of sand particles towards the dark beast’s way. The dark beast tried to push through the sands, making its way towards Prince and pouncing him. Stunned, Krystal ordered, “Prince! Sonic Roar! Hurry!”
Prince let out his Sonic Roar right at the dark beast’s face, making it get off Prince’s body. Heer tried to pounce at the dark beast herself, being able to scratch it on its face with the claws of her paw, leaving a freezing sting upon its face. Out of anger, the dark beast tried to swing its own paw at Heer, but Heer dodged it. However, the dark beast launched a dark energy fireball attack towards Heer, slamming her against the alley wall.
This attack surprised Sana. She could see the mixture of orange flames within it, which struck her to be quite peculiar. Why is there something so familiar about this beast? Sana wondered.
As the dark beast was distracted, Sana plunged her trishula into the ground, shouting, “Ember Fury!” The attack launched a linear trail of ember towards the dark beast, splashing the ember right at its face. The dark beast fell back onto the ground in a puff of smoke that was a result of the embers bursting. The others stood by.
But once the smoke had faded, Sana was shocked at what she saw. She even turned to her friends to see they were just as bewildered as she was. Because the dark beast had transformed back into the state of a human. And that human…was none other than Rey, who remained on the ground in torn clothes with dark markings glowing all over his body. As he slowly got up, he rubbed his head with his hand, turning to the others, puzzled.
“Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Rey questioned the others.
Copyright © 2021 Meryl T
All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.
The Ringmasters Society 